Mini-fridge/freezer to cool custom built chamber.

[Troxs]

I'm looking into building a fermentation chamber around a mini-fridge. My first thought was to use a mini-fridge, as I can get one from home depot for about $100. However, I'll be building this thing for a 14.5 conical blichmann. So I'm afraid the smaller 2.6 cu. ft. fridge would keep things cool in South Louisiana heat. (it'll be in the garage, so ambient can get up there during the summer). Would I do better by spending the extra $100 and buying a mini-freezer to build it around?

PS: I have to build this myself so that I can keep the size perfect and hidden away so that the wife doesn't flip her lid.

Also, do I need to do anything in particular other than to plug the fridge/freezer into a temp controller?

 

[madscientist451]

I was in Lowe's the other day and they had 7 cu/ft freezers on sale for $138.
So you don't have to build anything, just buy that and a temp controller and you're ready to ferment.
PS, its better to tell the wife in advance what you're up to, she'll find out anyway and if she's prone to "flip her lid" its better to get it over with.
Cheers!

 

[Troxs]

The 7 cu. ft. won't fit a 14.5 gallon conical.

 

[max384]

The 7 cu. ft. won't fit a 14.5 gallon conical.

It would fit with a collar, wouldn't it? Or is the problem width?

 

[OleBrewing]

I was in Lowe's the other day and they had 7 cu/ft freezers on sale for $138.
So you don't have to build anything, just buy that and a temp controller and you're ready to ferment.
PS, its better to tell the wife in advance what you're up to, she'll find out anyway and if she's prone to "flip her lid" its better to get it over with.
Cheers!

wait you mean it is not easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

 

[Redlantern]

It would fit with a collar, wouldn't it? Or is the problem width?

Water is about 8 lbs a gallon - beer just barely over that. think of 12 gallons in that fermenter and then trying to lift it over the top of a freezer with a collar on it and setting it down gently inside. Good challenge. Now get it out without any problems.

 

[max384]

Water is about 8 lbs a gallon - beer just barely over that. think of 12 gallons in that fermenter and then trying to lift it over the top of a freezer with a collar on it and setting it down gently inside. Good challenge. Now get it out without any problems.

Oh yeah, good point!

 

[Troxs]

Yeah, the lifting of the conical would be a huge PITA.

Also, the wife knows what I'm up to, but if I can keep it hidden as to not disturb her decorations of our downstairs area I'll be in the clear (this is why I want to keep it small and have the ability to "dress up" the outside.

 

[madscientist451]

wait you mean it is not easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

Perhaps it is easier to ask for forgiveness, but $138 isn't really all that much money, and it is easier to ask for forgiveness in spending that money than to be forgiven when the OP's SWMBO discovers the "hidden" cooling system mentioned in the first post.
But the chest freezer really wouldn't work with the Op's conical anyway, so an upright freezer would be needed, which is more money.

 

[Troxs]

Perhaps it is easier to ask for forgiveness, but $138 isn't really all that much money, and it is easier to ask for forgiveness in spending that money than to be forgiven when the OP's SWMBO discovers the "hidden" cooling system mentioned in the first post.
But the chest freezer really wouldn't work with the Op's conical anyway, so an upright freezer would be needed, which is more money.

I don't have to "hide" the chamber from her, as in she won't know about it. I have to hide it as in, I need for it to look like a piece of furniture for the room in which it'll be.

I live in the South (South of New Orleans), so my house is built much like a 2-story, and the bottom floor has a large 30' x 30' room which we use as an entertainment room. It has my dart board, pool table, kegs, and I also store my brew equipment in the corner. Ideally I'm looking to build a cabinet that'll house a fridge for temp control with a top portion to hold my equipment. I cannot build a plain box though. I'd have to make sure it looks "pretty" (by her standard) and match the room decor...

 

[EDF713]

Another option would be a used full size refrigerator, where you could pull all the shelves out and still have room for the fermenter and full door. That may be easier than building a big box around a mini-fridge. I'd watch Craigslist, the New Orleans area is pretty big so there should be something for under a couple hundred bucks. Just watch out for ones that some Cajun has used for hunting or fishing!